Placeholder Image

Subtitles section Play video

  • (S&M) It's time for Wonderful Adventure Now Akita! (S) The onsen edition.

  • (W.A.N.K music)

  • (S) Ah, yes! Some of you might have felt a little twinge of nostalgia hearing that intro.

  • For the next 3 days, we'll be in northern Japan in the Akita prefecture.

  • We're gonna be taking in the fall leaves and doing some onsen hopping.

  • We're actually 550 kilometres from our home in Kichijoji but getting here was actually kinda easy!

  • (To the tune of Shakira's Hips Don't Lie) Akita Akita~

  • I should've had more coffee!

  • (S) You can get coffee on the train!

  • (S) Hey! Adventure!

  • (S) That's not adventure, it's supposed to be high-five! (M) Oh!

  • (Train horn in the distance) Ruin my adventure!

  • (W.A.N.K music)

  • I don't know what your train toilets are like, but I enjoy this one. I think it's a very clean one.

  • An actual bidet! The train toilet is amazing!

  • I'm gonna... I'm gonna make sure it works, hold on. Give me... Give me 20 minutes.

  • We got 3 minutes, girl, we gotta go! (Martina, off camera) Oh my god

  • (S) Holy sh*t (M) Let's go

  • (M) You know when you like the person in front of you but you don't know how to tell them so you just tease them?

  • (S) No, I don't want teasing! Just tell me, okay? I'll believe you.

  • (S) Thank you!

  • (M) Very easy to get here!

  • It felt really overwhelming at first because we've never done this before, but the local bus was easy to catch!

  • Ganiba was great because it was the last stop!

  • (M) There were between 7 to 15 different onsen to choose from. We went for one called Ganiba!

  • And the only way I could remember that was "Ganiba, Ganiba dun dun dun". I did this dance move because it's a... it's a crab

  • (M) This is a very rustic, typical ryokan. It's a Japanese-style hotel. (S) Yup!

  • (M) We ended up sleeping on the ground! They put together the futons for you!

  • (S) I'm excited to see what our bed looks like! If you could just open the door...

  • (S) Just...

  • (S) Can you just... open the door? (Laughing)

  • (M) It's cozyyyy! (S) Oh daaang!

  • (S) Nice! Nice and cozy!

  • (M) I took cold Japanese meals, so if you're not okay eating a lot of Japnese foods this could be tough for you.

  • Might wanna bring something with you.

  • (S) We wanted to live stream this but I don't think we can.

  • Look at this tremendous thing right here!

  • We have this beautiful nabe (Japanese hotpot) here... Some gorgeous mushrooms...

  • (S) They have a whole aji (horse mackerel) with a stick of ginger

  • (M) Is it aji or ayu (sweetfish)? (S) Ayu! (M) Ayu, I'm pretty sure.

  • (S) Here we have some gorgeous crab!

  • Mmm... It's like macaroni and cheese, potatoes, and crab.

  • (S) Well, I'm enjoying my dinner. (M) Well, I'm enjoying you talking about food while I sit here suffering that I only had three(?)

  • (S) We are the only people here eating. Everybody finished eating!

  • (M) When we checked in, they said we can choose when we're gonna eat dinner. At 6, 7, or 8 o'clock.

  • And we were like: we don't usually eat dinner that early, we'll go for 7 o'clock. And then we were starving!

  • But! The good news is that we were like: (singing a fancy song) (S) Yeah, we took our time!

  • (M) And I picked up my fish and I was like: (Eating noises?) I picked up my rice (More eating noises)

  • And I actually drank some soup and it was so hot that I physically spat it out into my bowl!

  • I was like (splat noise) (S) This is why I can't take you to nice places. (M) No one was around!

  • (M) Good job, Martina!

  • (Martina, off-camera) I'm literally! Gonna die! If I don't have any more food!

  • (S) What am I gonna do with my life?

  • (M) Well (S) I'm so hungry!

  • (M) Here's my suggestion to Simon: he goes down to the front desk and he goes "Excuse me, do you have any gohan?"

  • And "gohan" has a double meaning! (Simon, with an accent) You have any gohans? (M) Because "gohan" means food but it also means, literally, rice.

  • No matter what scenario, they look at him and go: "Gosh this guy is huge" and he goes: (sad sound effects)

  • Remember when I paid to see a dog earlier?

  • (S) Oh! What's that? Hello!

  • (S) Nice doggy! Oh! Oh, are you coming up? Hello!

  • (S) Ohohohoho! Thank you!

  • (M) And they'll go: "Listen up gaijin (foreigner), we have food but shh shh, it's a secret!"

  • And then they'll give him extra rice or food! If it doesn't work, they'll say "Oh you've got those snacks in the corner!"

  • And then Simon will go: "Aha! Understood!" and he'll shuffle on over!

  • (S) So! We have another problem here. We have no food and we only have 5 TV channels and one of the TV channels is a FOOD channel!

  • (M) 2 channels. (S) 2 channels! This is another f*cking food show!

  • (M) And this one has been exclusively about saba, so... (S) So we have 2 shows...

  • What can we do? We can't eat and we can barely watch TV.

  • (M) This will list all the menu (S) This is our menu. What's room service?

  • (M) Well, let's check room service. There's beer. (S) Beer, whiskey... (M) Shochu. I mean, various kinds of...

  • And here is Akita local stuff. So this is like, daiginjo sakes and then we can have, like, a sake flight of 3 or so.

  • Then this is two kinds of wine.

  • (S) So if we're hungry what do we do?

  • (M) That's it, actually.

  • (S) That's it!

  • (M) So

  • (S) No food for us!

  • (M) So beer it is!

  • I think they just want us to go to sleep!

  • (M) The onsens were divided up. You have the men's and women's onsens.

  • We also had and amazing onsen! (S) They had mixed gender onsens which were outdoors and absolutely gorgeous!

  • Where you could sit in the hot water and look at the leaves falling into the water.

  • Well that right there

  • Was an amazing experience.

  • It's so cold when you step outside, it was like 11 degrees, 12 degrees (51-53 F)

  • I stepped outside in my little robe and oh God, it's so cold! Samui!

  • And then I get into the water and now I'm just a furnace!

  • I'm dripping with sweat, doesn't feel cold (out here) anymore. Just fresh and crisp

  • This is an amazing, amazing experience!

  • And after going to an onsen, as you know, you need to have some milk!

  • I have a nice chocolate milk here!

  • Ooh! Coffee milk! That's not what I was expecting! Very happy!

  • (S) Milk!

  • Now. To avoid any confusion or any complications, before we came here we called up the onsens if they were okay with tattoos.

  • And they all are! There were no issues. Not every onsen is like that.

  • We've called other areas of Japan that did have issues with our tattoos. But this area was totally cool with it!

  • (M) Yeah!

  • (Singing a tattoo song)

  • That's my tattoo song!

  • (S) That's a cool song.

  • Enough talking, let's go explore this! You ready? (M) Let's go for it ducky, you ready?

  • (S&M) Nanananananananana!

  • (M) You forgot how to do it!

  • I think you're supposed to go right and I'm supposed to go left!

  • (S&M) Nanananananananana!

  • (M) No! I mean, come back here. We're supposed to be in the middle and we go nanananananananana!

  • Okay, so... We got this little onsen pass. Multi pass!

  • And we can get on the onsens and we can go to different ones located in the mountains.

  • (S) Onsen hopping, what what!

  • So we are at Ganiba onsen. We're going right now to this one. (M) Which is the most famous one.

  • (S) Tsurunoyu hot springs. This one's very famous. Now we're going to do all the onsen hopping.

  • We're going to try to go to as many onsens as possible.

  • I read as a rule of thumb, you're only supposed to go to 3 onsens a day. We're gonna try to go to 7!

  • (M) I'm gonna try to go to 2. So... (S) Okay. (M) You go to your 7.

  • (S) Once we go to each one we can use this as a little postcard!

  • (M) It's so pretty! (S) Right?

  • (M) Thank you!

  • We got our stamps!

  • (M) 'Kay. So, we are at arguably the most popular onsen in the Akita area. And I can understand why.

  • (S) This is a scenic dream! Point your camera anywhere and you will have a beautiful picture.

  • Everywhere around you, it's stunning!

  • (M, in Korean) Women's and mixed gender

  • (M, in Korean) Mixed gender

  • (S) I've never... Ah sh*t! (Martina laughing)

  • (M) All over your pants... (S) Noo!

  • (M) Got it! (S) Got it.

  • (S) Okay!

  • (M) All right (S) Beer time!

  • (M) Hey! Memory of a lifetime, Captain Beer-pants.

  • (S) Hey. Girl, thank you for going on this adventure with me.

  • (M) Thanks for organizing it for me, ducky.

  • (S) This is wonderful. (M) Stop spilling my beer. (S) Oh f*ck! (M) It's opened didn't you know that?

  • (S) Okay, fine, geez, just trying to have a moment here!

  • In that case, you're not gonna get any of my tsuruman(?) that I bought for us to snack on.

  • Trying to be a romantic and sh*t like "I love you, girl" and (gibberish) I'm gonna eat by myself!

  • (M) Ducky, I gotta say this is hands down my favourite onsen I've ever been to.

  • Not just because it looks beautiful but because the actual water is so lovely.

  • I feel so nice right now.

  • So when you come in here, on the left is men and women's private.

  • Then there's the mixed gender one.

  • And then there's the men and women's changing room.

  • The women's side is totally private, so don't worry.

  • You go in there and you change, it's got an indoor hot spring, and outdoor one. It's gorgeous.

  • There was only one other lady there. She peeked over to the mixed gender side and she says:

  • "Do you wanna try together?"

  • And I was like: "Scary!" I'm too scared because as I was walking through the changing room there's men and I'm like there's (dog bark) so I didn't

  • I was feeling scared and shy!

  • Anyhow! So she said we're gonna open the door and people can definitely see.

  • So you take your little manner towel. Which, it's like a tiny one. And you just kinda cover your bits.

  • And as you enter, you kinda roll it up as you go. So, we did and she went first

  • Such a brave woman! And she inspired me to go too!

  • As soon as you're in the water no one can see anything. (S) Like two inches below the water it's completely murky.

  • (M) Then to get out, I showed everyone my butt cheeks... I did, I just did.

  • I came towards the little swim-away exit to the women's and picked up my towel and used it to cover my breasticles

  • I didn't know how to open the door (laughing) (S) Ahh! (M) And went like this! (S) Ahh!

  • Onsen tip! The hotel that you're going to be staying at will provide you with a towel for the onsen.

  • But when you go onsen hopping, bring that towel with you. Because the other onsens ain't gonna provide you with sh*t

  • So if you go there, you get wet, you're just gonna have to blow dry yourself with your mouth.

  • And that's gonna be weird and take forever. (M) Haaa... (S) Haaa...

  • (M) Hope that didn't screw up the focus mode and we're gonna be out of focus the whole time. We'll find out!

  • So I have to tell you, I was feeling really hesitant about this trip. (S) Mhm. (M) Uhm. Because I don't do well with travel.

  • And I'm scared about sleeping in places that I'm uncomfortable with. (S) Mhm.

  • (M) Not because I'm worried about things because I'm uncomfortable sleeping in different beds.

  • (S) Physically uncomfortable, yeah.

  • (M) And it was my pillow. (S) My pillow filled with beans. (M) Beans! (S) Beans!

  • (M) But after we came here I was like, okay, this is totally worth it. I absolutely love this.

  • (S) I'm glad I could convince you to come, girl.

  • Vacation with my ducky! We don't have kids, this is great! (happy song)

  • (M) Got a milk bubble. (S&M) Very happy! (S) We're very happy here!

  • (M) This milk is so good as well. (S) This great is great milk!

  • Not cold? (S) No! Canadian. This is easy. (M) This is lovely! (S) This is summer!

  • (M) Nice to meet you! (S&M) See you again!

  • I met a great guy in the water. Came over and talked to me. First time I ever spoke to somebody naked, but y'know, there we are.

  • He asked me where I'm from and he's actually from Tokyo as well. And he said he drove up here, he didn't take the shinkansen.

  • (M) Woah! (S) But! He didn't take any of the highways. He just drove for 12 hours. He's just a really nice, happy guy! (M) Yeah.

  • (S) And this was just a really... Especially being a foreigner going into the water. Like, with my tattoos.

  • I know that this place approves of tattoos but not every Japanese person does.

  • Because there's lots of old people here, maybe they don't.

  • They made me really comfortable and welcome even though we were both completely naked.

  • (M) Well I had the exact same experience! I mean, I entered this hot spring and it was just one Japanese woman and me.

  • And I thought, like, I don't want to make her uncomfortable so I tried to get into the water as quickly as possible.

  • Instead, she's the brave one who comes over and says "I can't do it alone" y'know? And I'm like...

  • And I'm like "Okay". (S) I just spilled my milk! (M) Oh, ducky! You're too strong boy!

  • (S) I'm absolutely loving this trip and we've only gone to 2 onsens but, hands down...

  • This the most beautiful onsen I've been to in my life.

  • (M) You know what else? (S) Just... Beautiful colours.

  • (M) Thatched roof gaijins

  • Woah, ducky, so prettyyy!

  • (S) So... (M) What happened here, huh?

  • When you are in town, you have to respect the local customs. You don't want to be a rude gaijin, foreigner.

  • So, I had to get their specialty. They made ice cream in the shape of a little doggy!

  • (M) What kind of doggy?

  • (S) Akita doggy but some nice buttery ice cream!

  • (M) Hey, question for you. (S) Mhm?

  • (M) You were like, you don't want to be a rude foreigner you wanna obey the laws but I believe you danced from that station...

  • All the way here singing your ice cream song.

  • (Simon humming) I have some ice cream! I have some ice cream!

  • Do you wanna try some? (M) I do, Captain Moustache-yo.

  • (S) Guess what? You can't!

  • (M) (Karate fighting sound effects) Karate! Another onsen tip!

  • So, most onsens I've been to, they have a shower area where you soap up and scrub.

  • Rinse off. You want to know all those tips, we've already made a video about onsen etiquette.

  • But 2 out of the 3 we went to actually had no shower.

  • I'm like: "What am I supposed to do?' You just got in and I found that quite shocking.

  • But it was acceptable, so if you do see a soap up station, you should soap up and clean up before you get in.

  • And if you don't, I mean, just get on in there...

  • (M) This is what I come out to find, huh?

  • (S) I'm relaxed.

  • (M) I'm gonna take this one because it's the colder one.

  • (M) Can you paint with all the colours of the wind~

  • (S) Think so.

  • (M) I cannot remember that song still.

  • (S) As you shouldn't.

  • (M) How high does the...

  • Ducky, will you reenact something with me real quickly? (S) Okay.

  • (M) It does involve Twilight.

  • (S) I think I'm gonna pass. (M) But... (S) Bella. We should never get married, Bella, this is a pedophilic relationship.

  • (M) Okay, well, that's not what I wanted us to reenact at all.

  • I gotta say you, you got the... The killer angle.

  • (S) Do I? (M) Yeah, you got a little sunset glistening on your face.

  • (S) Is that right? (M) Yup.

  • (S) You should be on camera, you're the pretty one. (M) Uhm...

  • (M) We just found the most beautiful bench ever. (S) Isn't this great?

  • (M) It's like it's been...

  • (S) See the little glistening spiderwebs all across it? (M) Ashes to ashes. Yep.

  • And look at all the stuff growing out of it.

  • I know you didn't subscribe to this channel for artsy bench shots, but...

  • Shut it. (S) Shut it. (M) You're getting it.

  • (Kissing and blowing raspberries) (S) So that's it for our wonderful adventure to Akita.

  • Before coming here, we actually knew very, very little about the place. We did not that much research. (M) Nope!

  • (S) But we just wanted to try doing something impulsive and we had a tremendous time!

  • (M) I loved it here and what was amazing is that I think Japan is so good at connecting things.

  • We were like: How are we going to get here? How are we going to get there?

  • And as you saw at the opening, the train took us to here, to there, the bus, and then we arrived.

  • We were like: Oh, it's that easy. (S) Mhm.

  • (M) So, I think you guys should definitely try this kind of an adventure. (S) It's probably a really long video!

  • (M) Thanks for sticking around 'til the end! (S) And now for some more with the bloopers! (M) Yeah!

  • And don't forget to check out our onsen etiquette video if you wanna know more about onsens. (S) I'm gonna pick you up like before!

  • (S) My ducky!

  • (S) My ducky!

  • (M) Wait! Come back to the frame, I have to say something.

  • (S) What? (M) Put me down!

  • You smell like rotten eggs. (S) Oh!

  • (M) Because you allow... You're supposed to soak in the onsen and leave it on your skin.

  • But gosh, he smells stinky! (S) Oh! It's a good stinky!

  • (M) It's a sulfur stinky. (S) It's a great way to end the video. Thanks everyone, I smell like sh*t

  • (M) Smell like sh*t, like eggs! Eggs are delicious!

  • You can read my mind!

  • (Martina singing Shakira's Hips Don't Lie)

(S&M) It's time for Wonderful Adventure Now Akita! (S) The onsen edition.

Subtitles and vocabulary

Click the word to look it up Click the word to find further inforamtion about it